Tuesday, April 19, 2005

Conclave: Day Two

Yesterday, after one vote, black smoke rose from the chimney of the Sistine Chapel, thus announcing to the world that no new Pope had been elected. Beginning today and continuing each morning until a new Pope is elected, at 7:30 a.m. CET (1:30 a.m. EDT) the Cardinals will meet for Mass in their living quarters at the Domus Sanctae Marthae. At approximately 9:00 a.m. they will convene in the Sistine Chapel for two rounds of balloting, which will conclude with the burning of the ballots at approximately noon. If necessary, the Cardinals will also hold an afternoon session of two votes, commencing at approximately 4:00 p.m. and concluding around 7:00 p.m.

The first vote of a Conclave is often used to honour eminent Cardinals who have no chance of being elected Pope, and so the real voting will start today. It would have been a shock if yesterday's vote had produced white smoke.

That fast would almost be unseemly, Victoria. Yes, the conclaves have gone fast, recently, but I would hope that even if they know who the Pope will be quickly, they delay things a bit. For one thing, the time without a Pope would be a good time, I think, for some long and hard discussions.